Johannesburg – Metrorail on Tuesday suspended morning peak train services between Johannesburg and Vereeniging – via Midway – after service delivery protesters placed objects on the tracks and set them alight.
Metrorail said protesters at Kliptown burned tyres and blocked all rail lines, affecting the safe movement of trains to and from Vereeniging.
The service delivery protest reportedly started at 2am in Kliptown, with community members burning objects and debris on the railway tracks.
"All trains have been stopped until further notice to protect commuters, personnel and Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) assets," Gauteng Metrorail acting spokesperson, Tony Games, said in a statement.
"The train service via Meyerton to Johannesburg and back is not affected. Oberholzer trains are running via Randfontein."
Games advised commuters to seek alternative transport on Tuesday morning to get to work or schools.
He said Metrorail was committed to ensure safety of commuters, staff and assets and will continue to closely monitor the situation before resuming services. "Metrorail would like to apologise to commuters and employers for the inconvenience this might cause and assures them that their safety remains our number one priority," Games said.
He did not say when normal train services would resume.